Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-11-02

coat, outside which bolt was fastened.
His hair and whiskers were reddish. and
he had yellow, wrinkled, hawk-like face,
that was singularly repulsive. He stayed
to watch the effect OF his shot, then Swing
ing 10 his feet, uttered q shrill ws-oop,
brandished his gun, and was about W fol-
low his comrades, when the whistle OF
bullets passed the cottage, and after bound
ing upward, the man fell on his back In tho
snow, and lay motionless, his arms out
stretched.
my hostess, her face pressed against the
window, looked on breathlessly; and when
the man fell, she dropped on her knees. and
with uplifted hands, cried, In an agitated
voice: "God pardon me, for poor wicked
crayture, who forgot that her cause was in
His hands when I sought the life of an in
nocent gossoon !" She staggered to the bed,
aud throwing herself across the boys feet,
sobbed Historically. He, divided between
sorrow for his father and anxiety for him
self, after one sad wall of Daddy daddy"
sat pale and trembling.
The wind brought to US the dull sound Of
horses hoofs and troop OF lancers came
trottng up the glen by twos, the sunlight
glancing from the points Of their spears.
Behind, at q slower pace, two or three COM
panies OF infantry climbed the rugged path.
The whole force was drawn up on tho level
space before the door, and an officer attend
ed by couple OF soldiers, entered.
The poor woman was too agitated to an
swer his inquiries, and / undertook to satisfy
him about the passage Of the rebels and my
own identity
"Who Is this young man, madami" he
asked, referring to the boy, who, on finding
himself observed, shrank back in the bed.
me son, capten-me only boy. yer honor.
Don't be afraid, Patsy, darlin'; the ham
some gintleman won't do any thin to ye."
us the poor lad illi" the officer asked
alphabetically.
"No, sir; no, yer honor; but the boys
the Faynians, name, sir--frightened him,
an runnin' home, he turned his ankle be.
nathe him. That's all, capten, SIR"
The soldiers departed, and soon followed,
leaving the boy bemoaning the loss OF his
only relative, whose body tho troops car
ried with them, while the woman tried to
console him.
arrived in London without further incl
dent
Business took me again into that neigh
borhood some years afterwards, and as the
weather was fine, madc an ex cursion to
the scene Of the adventure have related.
The place was easily found, and I was
agreeably surprised by the changes that
had taken place. Patsy Ryan was still
with the widow, whose desire for ven
geance had collapsed on the death Of the
boys father. He was married, and had
three sturdy children, who called the old
lady "grannie." The little cottage was re-
placed by a substantial house; the rugged
waste that formerly ran downward from
the door, was now cultivated and fenced in
w hat pata a.,
land; couple Of cows grazed lower down;
and pigs, ducks and geese roamed about at
will.
Nothing could exceed tho tenderness
shown by the old lady and her adopted son
towards one another; and as I sat before
the hearth. surrounded by the family,
could not help contrasting the comfort and
peace that now reigned there, with the
poverty, the misery, tho fierce passions
that saw on my former visit.-Chambcr's
Journal